No More Bird Reports!!!

I think every single person can look back and name a time they had to research some topic, write a report on it, and hand it in to the teacher for marking. Numerous times I wrote these types of reports - the Blue Footed Boobie, the planet Jupiter, Pierre Trudeau - they were so boring. The teacher was usually my only audience. On rare occasion we shared our reports with the class. What did I really learn from doing this? I learned to look up my topic in the encyclopedia, find a few books, and later use search the internet. Then, you write everything you found in those few sources, just regurgitate the information. Really, very little thought was required to complete the assignment. Today, we are saying "No more bird reports!"
When you are learning about a new topic and studying it there are numerous ways to show people what you have learned. Students should not be limited to writing a report that regurgitates what they have heard and read. Why not create a skit and video tape it to show to your class? The students will learn to create a story line or script, how to create and edit video, they will collaborate, and they can explore the topic that they are working with. This expands the learning that is taking place. Plus, why should every student have to do the same thing to show their progress? Rather than all students writing a report, one might create a Power Point show, another a comic strip, maybe a website, or write a song/rap in Garage Band. All of these will help the student continue to explore the topic or lesson, demonstrate their learning, and with choice they can choose to work in a way that is suited to their learning style. Rather than having a few students write good reports while the others write average reports, you can have all students succeed using a program or method that they enjoy. Since I began university I have been exposed to many ways to present my work. Personally, I find that I get better marks, feel more confident and proud in my work, and learn more in the process when I use other methods than writing an essay. One of my most successful projects was a Power Point presentation that included pictures, video, and other information. Since I have become comfortable in public speaking, I presented my information to my class by speaking about my Power Point I had put together. Not only did I learn about the topic I was expected to learn about, I improved my technological skills, public speaking skills, and researching skills. I want to expose my students to a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning. Not all students learn the same, so why should they all do the exact same assignments?

Skils For Our Students

I was reading a blog of David Warlick's about 21st Century skills. I have discussed before the need to teach students how to learn, how to teach themselves, not simply subjects. This blog made me even more aware of that fact. Not only is technology advancing so quick, and our world is based on information, but we also have an unpredictable future. The world is moving so fast. Globalization has made our world smaller and we are gaining information at rapid speed from other countries and societies. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, let alone 5, 10, or 20 years down the road. If our students only know how to do math, understand basic science, and have learned reading and writing, how will they be able to contribute to our future as a province, country, or world? They need to understand how to think critically, assess information, determine its value, figure out how to apply the information to their own life, and problem solve. They must understand how to communicate and collaborate. Our society is no longer a place of "you do your work and I'll do mine". Rather, it is a place of sharing information and working together.
Warlick also discussed a presentation that he saw that was very interactive. Warlick said:
It’s about interaction with content.
This is something I really need to keep in mind in my teaching. Today students live in an interactive world of video-games, on-line virtual worlds, etc. What child who is so interactive outside of school wants to come sit in a desk and listen to a teacher all day? Not a single one! If I can make my classroom, my lessons, and my content interactive there is a higher chance that they will get involved in their learning and take an interest in what I am teaching. Technology, of course, is a major way to do this. Creating a Jeopardy game of science questions, having the kids make a video or comic of a scene from a book . . . there are many ways to make learning more interesting, more interactive, and allow the students to problem solve and collaborate. Education is finally beginning to catch up to the rest of the world, and I think classrooms are finally becoming exciting places to be!

Information Literacy

Since we are using technology in the classroom more and more, and using the Internet as a source of information, it is critical that we teach our students how to evaluate websites and be critical of the information they find on the web. I have found MAPing to be very useful for myself, and will be useful for my future students. By evaluating the Meta-web, Author, and Purpose we can determine how appropriate or valuable the information we are viewing is. To introduce this to my middle years class I would discuss M, A, and P with them. Together we could go through a few websites and I could have them guide me in finding information to help us determine how high of quality the sites are. At the beginning of a computer lab class I could have them work in pairs or small groups to evaluate websites I give them. This allows them to apply their skills, collaborate, and learn from each other. However, I know that such information can be easily forgotten when you are wanting to do some quick research. I myself am bad for getting excited that I find what I want, but don't evaluate the material. Therefore, MAPing is an activity I would have the students do once a week, or maybe every other week. Another option would be to have an information literacy page on a class wiki. Once a week, the students would be expected to go the page, go to one of the links provided, evaluate the page, and write in a journal what they found. The journal could be used in the evaluation for a computer or ELA class.
I also believe that as a teacher, I need to pay close attention to websites in my students bibliographies when they submit essays or other writing. I can use websites submitted in bibliographies as examples in the MAPing section of the class wiki. This way, students are evaluating sites that they have actually looked at and used. They will see more value in the skill.

The Wiki World

Wikis are being used more and more in the classroom. It is a way to integrate technology into learning, and is an excellent way for students to collaborate with others. As I discussed in my previous blog, we need to teach our students how to learn, not just subjects and content. We must help them to build their knowledge, and learn how to continue to build outside of class and in their day to day lives. Lyndsay Grant said in her case study on Wikis in schools:
knowledge-building is a collaborative activity and that learners take responsibility for their own learning goals, identifying the problems and gaps in their understanding of a subject, and deciding how to solve these problems (http://www.futurelab.org.uk/download/pdfs/research/disc_papers/Wikis_in_Schools.pdf)
Wikis are opening doors in classrooms that weren't available before. The main opportunity that comes with Wikis is collaboration. Students can now post their ideas, learning, and knowledge, and in return they can get responses from other students, build their knowledge from others, and grow as a learner. As a current student, I can use Wikis to share information with students that I am working with. Rather than trying to arrange a time that we can all get together, and schedule our busy lives around each other, we can post our thoughts and work on Wikis.
As a teacher I can use Wikis to create a space where students can post assignments, look at the class outline, view rubrics and other evaluation information, share links to helpful information, and many other things. Wikis are a great way for me to see my students learning in progress. As opposed to only seeing how much they've learned at the end of a unit or by giving a test, I can see their growth and thoughts in progress by what they post on the Wiki. Another wonderful thing about class Wikis is that students can access information from anywhere. If they have the technology available at home, they can continue to learn and participate at home. Plus, I can assign responsibilities to students. For example, each week a new student can be in charge of posting the homework each day. Another student could be in charge of updating the class events page. Overall, I believe Wikis are a great learning tool, encourage class cohesion, and promote collaboration.

Depth Over Breadth?

I recently listened to Alan November's podcast with Professor Angela McFarlane. I found it very interesting, and it really made me contemplate how the curriculum is being taught in our schools. McFarlane said that we need to concentrate on depth in our teaching, not on breadth. There is such a push to learn all of the curriculum, a lot of content, many subjects, and in very little time. Therefore, we rush our way through the content, assign a lot of homework, and focus on how much we can teach them. But, what does that really teach our students? I believe we are, without realizing it, teaching our students that it is better to know a little about a lot than to understand the process of learning. We are teaching them that it is quantity over quality. What does this mean for their future?
In my ECMP 355 class we have discussed teaching students how to learn rather than teaching them a topic. Our society today is information driven. Technology is constantly advancing, and the world has become a smaller place. We have access to more information and knowledge than ever before. Therefore, we must teach our students what to do with all of this information. How do you use it? How do you know what is true or reliable and what is not? We must, as McFarlane said, focus on evidence based learning. As teachers, we must assist our students in determining what evidence there is to support their learning.
In November's interview, McFarlane also discussed homework. She explained that she believes school time should be more productive. There should be more group work, hands on learning, and students should be able to do their school related learning at school. Students today go home with mountains of homework, and are expected to do a great deal of learning on their own time with only the help their parents can provide. In some cases, this means parents essentially doing the homework for their children. For others, this means their parents aren't equipped to help them and they fall behind. If school time was more productive, homework would fall to a minimum. I completely agree. When I was in elementary and high school I had incredible amounts of homework. I felt bogged down, and found it very hard to concentrate after a long day at school. I was lucky enough to have parents willing to and able to assist me, but I had friends who did not. This resulted in a gap in grades and a major learning curve in my class. Those who did not have support at home and had a hard time doing homework were simply left to fail or struggled to keep up. Is this fair? I don't believe it is. Also, there is a lot of proof that play is important to a child's learning and growth. Kids need to have time to play, run, and explore. With all of the homework that kids are bringing home, they are being robbed of these opportunities. We can't expect our students to dedicate all of their after-school time to homework, they need to grow as individuals outside of the classroom.
Personally, I believe that students today are lost in a system that doesn't reflect our society, our economy, and the world around us. Our education system is stuck in the past. It is stuck in a time where subjects are most important to learn. Since this was okay for us and the generations before us, we assume it to be good enough for the students of today. However, our society is evolving and it is time for education to evolve with it. We are leaving our students at a disadvantage if we do not provide them with communication skills, technology skills, problem solving, critical thinking, and other qualities important for success in today's work force.

The Grades Struggle

This past year I have had various discussions in class, with my professors, and amongst my peers about grades. Do they really assess what you have learned? Should a grade be used to determine what kind of a student you are? I am really struggling with the use of grades to assess learning as both a student and a teacher.
My whole life has revolved around grades. In elementary school my parents expected me to recieve good grades. Once in middle years I recieved awards for having above average grades. Then came high school. If a grade slipped, I was reminded that my grades were going to determine if I got into university, recieved scholarships, and would determine the rest of my life. Thankfully, I maintained above average grades through high school, and got into university. Then the struggle really began.
In high school I didn't have to work exceptionally hard to recieve good grades. I could ace tests with little studying, and I could create some pretty impressive presentations the night before they were due. That really took a toll on me in university. Suddenly, I had to really work to pass, let alone make honor roll. I didn't know how to study, and my procrastination that became a habit in high school was causing me severe stress. I couldn't help but wonder, "Were the marks I recieved in high school really representative of what I had learned?" I believe I did learn the content. But, I don't think I learned the process.
In my second year of university I became very sceptical that if I worked hard and could prove I knew the content that I would be rewarded with a good mark. In one class I really knew my stuff. I did excellent work, people congratulated me on interesting and informative presentations, and I left the last day of classes with an evaluation sheet in my hand saying I had obtained an 86%, my highest mark in university to date. I felt I had really accomplished something. So imagine my shock and anger when my final grade was listed as 76%. After a heated discussion with my professor, I learned that the marks had been curved. Since I was near the top of the class, I rode the curve the farthest. A fellow classmate who's evaluation sheet said she recieved 78% ended up with a 75%. What this told me was that I put in a lot of effort for nothing. I could have given a 78% effort and recieved the same grade. What was the point?
Today, I am in a program I absolutely love. I feel I have learned more in the past year in the Eudation program than I did in the previous 5, not only about education but about myself and the world that we live in. As a future teacher, assessment is something I will need to understand and do so we discuss it in our classes. Regularly, I hear professors tell me that it isn't about the grade; it's about what I take from the class. Although I agree, I have that internal conflict again. I have a great deal of student debt, and I need scholarships to stay in school. How do they decide if you get a scholarship? Grades! I can't tell the scholarship committee, "Well, I only recieved a 75%, but I learned a lot!" Plus, I don't think I would be as appealing to a future employer if I came out of school with a 70% average as apposed to a 85% average. Also, if I recieve low grades, I run the chance of being kicked out of Education. How do you strike a balance?
I am learning a lot about differentiated learning - providing a multitude of opportunities to learn the content. Also, there are so many different types of learners in this world. Some are visual, others audio, some kinaesthetic, the list goes on. As a teacher, how do I assess different types of learners in a differentiated classroom? I think rubrics are an incredible resource. You can choose the areas of expectation such as content, presentation, and effort. This leaves room for each student to decide how to present what they have learned in a variety of ways. But what other options are out there? This is what I want to know.
As for my student self, I will continue to work for high grades. But, I will also continue to challenge the system. When a professor tells me the grade doesn't matter I will say, "They do. They were what determined if I was accepted into this program. They determine if I can continue in this program. But, I don't believe they are represenative of my learning. What can we do to change this?" It may be my job as student and teacher to find accepted ways of assessment beyond a grade on a piece of paper.

Teachers as Learners

I've been reading through David Warlick's blog "2 Cents" and came across some things that really struck me as important.
Warlick wrote,
Sadly, we are a generation who was taught how to be taught — not how to teach ourselves.
I completely agree with this statement, and I have been trying to remind myself of this as I adventure through the Education program at the University of Regina. I have often found myself waiting for further instruction, asking what the teacher really wants us to do, and very rarely have I been willing to "venture out on my own" and take a chance in the way that I learn. As a teacher, I need to be able to teach my students. But, how can I teach my students if I can't teach myself? This has been important in my approach to technology in the classroom. I have a lot to learn from my instrutor and others; but there are many opportunities for me to teach myself. I have access to the entire world on the internet, and I need to take advantage of it. As teachers, we need to enhance our own learning to be albe to enhance our students learning. Sometimes, that might mean I need to learn from my students. I know that in my future classroom I will have students who are incredibly knowledgable about technology and the way it can be used. So rather than fight it, I can ask them to teach me. There is a lot to be learned from my students. I also think they take pride in being able to teach an adult or share their knowledge with others. On Warlick's blog a comment was made by Michele Martin:
Part of lifelong learning is being curious, seeking out new information and being on top of your game re: changes in the field.
This sums it up so well. How can we teach kids to think, problem solve and explore if we don't do it ourselves?

Just a note:
Warlick has a post about "Second Life" and the "Second Life Best Practices in Education International Conference" on May 25. This all sounds really interesting. I want to know more about it. What is it? It looks like a virtual world. How will this conference work? Would it be valuable for me to take part in? Wow! Is this the future of Education? Virtual people in a virtual world. Maybe this could be a way of expanding my learning. Sounds very interesting and worth looking into.